Oral Answers to Questions

Chris Heaton-Harris Excerpts

Thursday 11th March 2021 Commons Chamber

[Neil Coyle (Bermondsey and Old Southwark) (Lab)]

What recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on funding for the Bakerloo line extension since the Government’s formal issuing of safeguarding directions on 1 March 2021.

[The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Chris Heaton-Harris)]

I can confirm to the hon. Member that neither I nor ministerial colleagues in the Department have discussed this matter with the Chancellor since the safeguarding directions were issued 11 days ago.

[Neil Coyle [V]]

I thank the Government for safeguarding the land for the Bakerloo line extension. This is a project that will not just improve transport across London, but create jobs and homes and provide a much-needed economic boost for the whole national economy. The next step, though, is that crucial funding. It is disappointing to hear that there have not been any discussions. What resources have the Department and the Treasury set aside to develop a single preferred option for the extension to ensure that construction is under way as soon as possible, to boost our national economy?

[Chris Heaton-Harris]

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question. The Chancellor has been a tad busy in the past week or so on a very important economic piece for the country. The Bakerloo line extension is a Transport for London project and the issuing of safeguarding directions actually represents the Government’s commitment to fund the project, but it protects the route from conflicting development that could have raised the cost of the project significantly in the future. His question is best aimed at the Mayor.

[Antony Higginbotham (Burnley) (Con)]

What preparatory steps his Department is taking on the safe restart of international travel during the covid-19 pandemic.

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[Karl MᶜCartney (Lincoln) (Con)]

What steps his Department is taking to accelerate the midlands rail hub project as part of the midlands engine rail plan.

[The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Chris Heaton-Harris)]

The Department has approved £20 million of funding for the development of an outline business case for the midlands rail hub. We are working closely with Network Rail to apply the principles of Project SPEED to the development of this project to ensure that it can progress as quickly as possible.

[Karl MᶜCartney [V]]

It is good to see you again this morning, Mr Speaker. I thank the Minister for his reply. The rail corridor to Lincoln, which the Minister knows well, has a proposed upgrade of signalling at Newark, as well as plans for faster and more frequent trains to my constituency of Lincoln. Some of these schemes are almost shovel-ready and can begin this year. Will my hon. Friend consider these schemes and help Lincoln to receive the train services that my constituents deserve?

[Chris Heaton-Harris]

Mr Speaker, I think we can both agree that my hon. Friend is a wonder to behold, as he demonstrates to us all that a sensible, coherent campaigning strategy—bringing together people and businesses, and demonstrating the potential economic growth that could result from schemes and infra-jstructure —leads to this Government delivering that infrastructure. One only has to look at the roads around his great city and the direct trains to London for which he has campaigned. Midlands Connect is developing a proposal, as he outlines, and if history is anything to go by, his resourcefulness will help to speed it through the process.

[Cat Smith (Lancaster and Fleetwood) (Lab)]

What recent assessment he has made of the effect of his policies on rail investment in the north of England on the Government’s levelling-up agenda.

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[Daniel Zeichner (Cambridge) (Lab)]

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the 2017 Cambridgeshire and Peterborough devolution deal on transport connectivity in (a) Cambridgeshire and (b) Peterborough.

[The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Chris Heaton-Harris)]

The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government has recently carried out a review on the progress of the devolution deal, and I understand that the outcome of that will be announced in due course.

[Daniel Zeichner [V]]

In the Budget last week, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough was the only mayoral authority not to get money from the intra-city transport settlement. We are still awaiting the blocked £45 million in housing funding, and we got just 75% of the indicative amount for active travel, when everyone else got at least 95%. What have the Government got against Cambridgeshire? Isn’t the Mayor a chum?

[Chris Heaton-Harris]

The Mayor is a chum, and I would like to think the hon. Member is a chum, too. The cities eligible for the intra-city fund announced in the spending review 2020 have been chosen with the appropriate governance and on the basis of a range of factors, including population, economic growth rates and congestion. The Government are already investing substantially in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough through the £1.5 billion A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon upgrade that was completed last year and a devolved allocation of £95 million from the transforming cities fund for 2020 to 2023, and we are also developing plans for a new Cambridge South station and, obviously, East West Rail.

[Sarah Champion (Rotherham) (Lab)]

What plans he has to convert additional stretches of motorway to smart motorways.

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[Mr Ben Bradshaw (Exeter) (Lab)]

What steps the Government are taking to help local authorities increase levels of cycling and walking.

[The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Chris Heaton-Harris)]

The Government are investing £2 billion in active travel over the rest of this Parliament, much of which will go to local authorities. This is the biggest ever boost for cycling and walking.

[Mr Bradshaw [V]]

Many local authorities, including Conservative-run Devon and Labour-run Exeter, are working very well together to deliver on the Government’s vision. What will the Minister do about the small number of obstructionist local councils, such as Kensington and Chelsea in London, which, incredibly, does not have a single segregated bike lane in the whole borough and, furthermore, recently tore out a new temporary one that was very popular with local families, forcing those families and children back out on to a busy main road on their way to school?

[Chris Heaton-Harris]

I welcome the right hon. Gentleman, who is a new member of the Transport Committee, and look forward to working with him as we move forward on this agenda especially. We have met on this subject previously. He will know that local authorities across the country are doing a marvellous job. Devon County Council has received £1.6 million from the active travel fund in this financial year and is spending it very wisely. There are local authorities that have not consulted on schemes quite as well as we would have liked in the past. We are trying to rectify that, and we are working from the centre with local authorities that are struggling to deliver schemes, to ensure that they deliver them properly, with the appropriate consultation, and that taxpayers’ money is spent wisely.

[Mr Speaker]

Congratulations on clearing the list—that is unique.